Tourists are blocking the lifeguards' safety lane with towels and umbrellas, endangering emergency response.

On the Romanian coast, lifeguards are faced with the problem of abusive occupation of the safety lane by tourists, who install towels and umbrellas in an area five meters from the water, reserved for emergency interventions. Ignoring the no-occupation signs in this area makes it difficult for lifeguards to access the area and they end up spending a lot of time trying to squeeze through the tourists. Although there are regulations to penalize such offences, fines are rarely enforced, which hampers the rescuers' effectiveness. In Mamaia, the problem is partly solved by seaweed on the shore, which discourages people from occupying the area.